Website Launch: SIA EU-Mexico

14 November 2017

In September 2017, the EU and Mexico concluded the fifth round of negotiations for modernising the EU-Mexico Global Agreement in Brussels, Belgium. Conclusions praised the substantive discussions which allowed for good progress in all areas and negotiation groups. The talks focused on the text proposals for the trade part of the agreement, as well as on the market access offers on goods, services and public procurement that were exchanged in July 2017. The next round of negotiations is set for 27 November – 1 December 2017.

In support of continuing negotiations, the European Commission has entrusted LSE Consulting with the implementation of a trade sustainability impact assessment. In order to adequately understand possible impacts of the association agreement, our team and the European Commission prioritise a participatory process consulting all those potentially impacted by the agreement. Therefore, we are proud to announce the launch of a dedicated website (www.siaeumexico.com) devoted to channel inputs from relevant stakeholders.

The SIA EU-Mexico website was created to facilitate the collection of input to the trade sustainability impact assessment as well as to disseminate information and raise-awareness of activities related to the study and negotiations. The website includes a description of the evaluation tailored to the stakeholder target groups, as well as regular updates with the progress of the evaluation and negotiations. Beyond providing links to relevant documents, the page additionally includes details of key dates and how to participate in consultation events.

Past EU-Mexico Negotiation Rounds

In 1997, Mexico was the first country in Latin America to sign an Economic Partnership, Political Coordination and Cooperation Agreement (Global Agreement) with the EU. This Agreement came into force in 2000 and covers political dialogue, trade relations, and cooperation. The Global Agreement also includes trade provisions that were later developed into a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) covering trade in goods and trade in services.

Since the EU and Mexico signed the Global Agreement, both the European Union and Mexico have significantly advanced their economies. In light of changing circumstances, relevant leaders have decided to “explore the options for a comprehensive update of this Economic Partnership, Political Coordination and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Mexico”.

The five rounds of negotiations conducted to date highlight a broad range of issues including trade in goods, technical and non-technical barriers to trade, SMEs, intellectual property rights, and sustainable development. The parties aim to conclude an updated agreement by the end of 2017.